The invention relates to remote control devices. More particularly, the invention relates to selecting content via remote control for consumption by a media consumer.
Remote control devices are popular with media consumersxe2x80x94people who experience images, sounds, and other sensations produced and provided by other people. For example, stereo and television remote controls are very popular with audio and video media consumers. Remote controls provide a convenient mechanism by which media consumers may interactively select content for consumption.
Currently, remote controls for selecting content are general purpose devices for selecting content channels. For example, many remote controls offer controls for selecting a particular channel by number, and for incrementing or decrementing the currently selected channel. Operating a control of the remote control may result in receiving whatever content is currently available on the selected channel. The remote control is not associated with any particular content; rather, it is a general-purpose device for selecting content channels or other consumer electronics equipment controls.
Furthermore, existing remote controls do not facilitate the identification of the particular content (as opposed to the channel) which operating the remote control will select. A media consumer must know in advance which channel will provide the content they seek to consume, and the times at which that content will be provided.